On Computers: Don’t worry about that https

Jim Hillibish

Thursday

Sep 29, 2011 at 12:01 AMSep 29, 2011 at 5:08 AM

A reader wrote me: “I occasionally see ‘https’ in my browser. Should I suspect it might be some manner of hacking?” I wrote back that it does have something to do with hacking, but this time it’s to our advantage.

A reader wrote me: “I occasionally see ‘https’ in my browser. Should I suspect it might be some manner of hacking?”

I wrote back that it does have something to do with hacking, but this time it’s to our advantage.

Https is a newcomer to Internet addresses. It indicates that the site you are accessing is secure, meaning it has extra protection against hackers. That’s the “S” — for secure sockets.

You see this on financial and retail websites. When they ask for your password, that will enter you into a second Web server with this higher level of security. It’s becoming more prevalent as we use the Web to pay bills.

Not all websites need this heightened security, just those where you’re passing personal stuff, a credit card or Social Security number or some other piece of information that could help a hacker.

The newer browsers indicate a secure server is running when the address bar turns green. It is something to look for, and we should not trust any valuable information to websites lacking it.

The old-fashioned way to check is to go to the password screen and enter the site. If there’s no “https” in the address bar, don’t send them any personal information.

Be Wi-Fi wise

Another reader wants to know if free Wi-Fi hot spots (such as the ever-popular McDonald’s) are safe from hackers. The answer is, well, iffy.

Wi-Fi sites are wide open. They need this to allow you to connect with a variety of machines (phones, tablets, laptops). For security, they expect users to have a firewall installed in their Internet devices.

Many of you never bother to do this. The router on a home or business wireless network has strong, password-protected security. It’s our main defense against hackers.

That’s fine as long as you use your router. Wi-Fi is very different.

There’s no excuse not to run the free Windows firewall built into modern laptops. If you use Wi-Fi, go to your Windows security page and turn on the firewall. Now you can travel to Wi-Fi spots across the land with less fear of getting your email or something else hacked.

For other devices, check your manual for security tips.

I checked with my friends who mostly use free Wi-Fi for their email. None of them had a firewall running in their device. They’re asking for trouble big time.